...powerful irresistible way. Two historical and compelling passages can be found in part two of The Declaration of Independence, credited to Thomas Jefferson and The Preamble to the Constitution written by another of our founding fathers Gouverneur Morris. Modern audiences of 2018 would be compelled to read The Declaration of Independence is because of its importance in American history. The Declaration of Independence has a historical significance, it is not just any document, it is a moment in time where the people could not stay quiet for a moment longer. Our founding fathers risked their lives and the lives of their families to write this document that would ensure the people's freedom. For example, the most famous quote that modern audiences can recall to this day is “ We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that we are endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights.” This is what the audience found most compelling about this document, even though it...
Words: 605 - Pages: 3
...Two very important documents were created by our founding fathers, but which is more compelling? The Preamble to the constitution, in summary, explains to us the law of the land, the Declaration of Independence, however, declares the separation of the colonies from British rule. I find the Declaration of Independence more compelling because it was the beginning of the United States government and its people. Provoked by all the harsh treatment from the British king, our founding fathers learned from the tyranny of British rule and decided to create their own government using the Declaration of Independence as their first step to freedom. To which the philosophy and ideas of our nation’s government is prescribed; the Declaration of independence states one of their ideas by saying, “That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.”...
Words: 452 - Pages: 2
...Madilyn McKay Argumentative Essay 4 Nov. 2016 What makes something compelling? The feeling we get from reading it? Or is it the undeniable factual information we gain from the material? Either of these examples can be found littered among the Declaration of Independence. A majority of people can argue how inspirational, motivational the Declaration can be to readers. Anyone who denies this in America fears a patriotic riot chasing them southbound. But what about the Preamble? The little sister to the Declaration. There is no refusing the Declaration of Independence is far more compelling than the Preamble. “All men are created equal,” (prg. 3) An excerpt from the Declaration itself. These are some of the most famous words in the history of this country. These words have influenced our country's entire culture. America simply could not be the same without this document inspiring us to take the next step in human...
Words: 507 - Pages: 3
...How is it that declaration of independence, bill of rights, and the preamble all play a part of the idea of the American dream and how are able to appreciate? The American dream is having the chance to receive opportunities and achieve the goals that you want to obtain. It’s having freedom and being able to express your thoughts and feelings without having fear of suffering any consequences. Also, its being able to be treated the same no matter what color skin, gender, race, or religion that you have. The declaration of independence was created by all the hopes and dreams of colonists in 1776. It stated how all men are created equal. It was a representation of liberty. It demonstrated the goals of the nation. They used it as a way to express...
Words: 251 - Pages: 2
...Constitution. For example, “To borrow Money on the credit of the United States”, is one of the delegated powers. The delegated powers are also in the Ninth and Tenth Amendments, which are in the Bill of Rights. The Ninth Amendment says that nothing in the Constitution can be used to negate amendments. The Tenth Amendment basically says that any power not given to the federal government...
Words: 1648 - Pages: 7
...Comparing and Contrasting the Declaration of Independence vs. Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen World of History after 1500 July 5, 2015 Comparing and Contrasting the Declaration of Independence vs. Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen Throughout the course of the week we were asked to compare and contrast the two given documents titled, The Declaration of Independence & Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen. Before we begin to discuss the difference and similarities, we must first understand what each Declaration stands for. The Declaration of Independence is defined as, “The formal statement written by Thomas Jefferson declaring the freedom of the thirteen American colonies from Great Britain.” (LoveToKnow, 2015). The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen is defined as, “One of the basic charters of human liberties, containing the principles that inspired the French Revolution. Its 17 articles, adopted between August 20 and August 26, 1789, by France’s National Assembly, served as the preamble to the Constitution of 1791.” (Britannica Inc., 2015). Now that we have a better understanding of both Declarations, we can begin to compare and contrast. After reading both Declarations I found various differences and similarities. These Declarations were both pushing the rights of freedom & equality within almost the same decade of the 1700’s. This is supported strongly through the Declaration of Independence; stating that the people...
Words: 537 - Pages: 3
...On August 2nd 1776, fifty-six delegates signed a declaration to the Crown of England stating their intent of succeeding from the suppression of British authority and to form their own independent nation. This document is subsequently addressed to countries like Spain and France- “the Powers of the earth,”- to persuade them and to gain support in the thirteen colonies’ case for a fight for independence by providing examples of violations and to inform them that the tensions originated with the colonists’ stripping of rights and was not pursued by the idea of taxation alone. Before mentioning the grievances on which the colonist based their claim, the preamble dictates the colonists’ reasoning to a “revolution.” They believed that God has granted the people “unalienable Rights” -Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness- and it is the role of the government to secure these rights. However, “when a long train of abuses and usurpations [the “abuses” from England]…it is their [the colonists] right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards [a new government] for their future security [of “unalienable rights”]. The grievances of the colonists listed is to persuade as to why the American people fought in the revolution and wrote to the King of England declaring their independence for a necessity to secure their rights: right to fair trial; right to representation; right to taxation with...
Words: 382 - Pages: 2
...The Declaration of Independence Reading Response #1 Candie Cueva The Declaration of Independence was created when Americans wanted to "disband the political bands" that tied them to the British Crown. They felt as if they had endured oppression and many wrongdoings by the king, and so, they outlined their new government in this document. Some of the events leading up to this revolution were the Stamp Act, the Boston Massacre, and the Boston Tea Party. These acts caused the citizens' to believe their "inalienable rights" had been disrespected. Therefore, the Declaration of Independence was drafted by Thomas Jefferson and a committee of four others including Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston in order to take back these rights. The actual content of the document consists of five parts, but the most well-known is the preamble. The document became official on July 2nd, when the creators signed it at the convention along with 51 other representatives....
Words: 521 - Pages: 3
...Chapter 1: The Political Landscape Reading Comprehension Quiz Multiple Choice Questions 1) The Preamble to the Constitution begins A) "We the People . . . " B) "Four score and seven years ago . . . " C) "When in the course of human events . . . " D) "In order to form a more perfect Union . . .” E) "These are the times that try men's souls . . .” 2) Which of the following did NOT lead to American settlement in the seventeenth ce ntury? A) Q uesti oning the divine right of kings B) T he sp lit from the Church of England C) Belief in self - government D) Belief in intelligent design E) Hobbes and Loc ke’s social contract theories 3) A social contract theory of government was proposed by A) Plato and Aristotle. B) Aquinas and Luther. C) Newton and the separatists. D) Locke and Hobbes. E) Plato and Luther. 4) Locke's Second Treatise on Civil Government set s out a theory of A) the divine rights of kings. B) aristocracy. C) democracy. D) republicanism. E) natural rights. 5) Indirect democracy is based on A) consensus. B) unanimity. C) the system of government used in ancient Greece. D) representation. E) "mob rule." 6) Republics are A) representative democracies. B) direct democracies. C) a hallmark of unitary governments. D) frequently found in totalitarian regimes. E) another name for states. 7) In an oligarchy, rule is by A) the many. B) the few. C) one person. D) all people. E) people who own property. ...
Words: 705 - Pages: 3
...The Declaration of Independence Completion Assignment Paraphrasing Main Ideas You will find it easier to understand the main ideas in The Declaration of Independence if you recognize the language that Jefferson used to state them and then paraphrase these items in your own words. As you read each section of the document complete the chart by writing the words that Jefferson used to state each main idea. The first one is done for you. Top of Form Main Ideas in The Declaration of Independence Directions: Type Thomas Jefferson’s Words (make sure they are quotations) that support the main idea of the speech. Number 1 has been done for you as an example. 1. Section of Speech: The Preamble (Lines 1 - 8) Main Ideas: 1.Sometimes it is necessary for people to break their political ties. 2. The colonists should state their reasons for separating. Thomas Jefferson's Words: "...it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another." 2. Section of Speech: A Declaration of Rights (Lines 9 - 37) Main Ideas: 1.All people have basic, God-given rights. 2. Whenever a government denies people their basic rights, it is their duty to overthrow it. Thomas Jefferson's Words:” That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it” 3. Section of Speech: A List of Complaints (Lines 38 - 120) Main Ideas: ...
Words: 330 - Pages: 2
...and inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” - Preamble to the Declaration of Independence. An idealistic statement, but one which may be either too optimistic, or will take an enormous amount of time to accomplish, depending upon whom you ask. I do not believe the United States has become one of the freest countries in the world, at least not yet. It may become like this someday, but not today. Not tomorrow, or even fifty years from now. Progress is an arduous struggle, in which once some has been made, something comes along and seemingly sets all of it back to square one. Women’s rights are one example of a struggle which is typically hampered by those in power. Even though the...
Words: 571 - Pages: 3
...a collection of British colonies before it transformed into a nation. As the colonies became independent from Britain and unified into a nation, the people realized that they needed a government that would support the people – a government that was not corrupt and did not hold absolute power. The American people did not want a repeat of the oppressive British rule that they had just freed themselves from. The leaders of America looked to the previous rule of the British rule to decide what their new government could not take away from the people. The Declaration of Independence influenced the Constitution by revealing how the people’s rights were once infringed and provided the stepping-stones on how to protect those rights. In the Declaration of Independence, the grievances of the British monarch are listed. The rule of the King was oppressive and the people had little to no rights to fight against it. A quote from the Declaration reads, “He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.” (1) Which explains how the British Monarch...
Words: 593 - Pages: 3
...Why is history the big-league? History is very important because it made what our world is today. In fact if we didn’t have history then we wouldn’t know who our ancestors were or even about the greatest events! We wouldn’t know why people were separated by color. Who our greatest Hero’s are or how we are here today. Same people wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for immigration. History studies the events for the past for example; how was our government created, what caused us to gain independence what stopped great Britain from ruling the 13colonies? We wouldn’t even remember what happen a second-ago. On July 4, 1776 the declaration of independence was adopted by the second continental congress. It was written on July 1, 1776 by Thomas...
Words: 398 - Pages: 2
...government if it breaks the people's contract. Locke's theory had a more direct impact on the American system of government as one can see his work and ideas in not only the Declaration of Independence, "life, liberty, and property", but also in how the American government works as a whole. Although Hobbes' Leviathan does not play a key role in our government in the sense of an "all-powerful" government, his idea that people need a single ruler to govern to "guarantee the rights of the weak against the strong" was implemented in the creation of the executive branch of the American government system. 2 Locke's ideas and theory shows up all throughout the Declaration of Independence. Three examples of this are: "all men are created equal", "endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness", and "Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed". These three quotes are directly related to the theory and works of John Locke. I do agree with this assessment. This could be a biased answer because I have more knowledge of Locke's work, however, after this reading I still feel the same way. There are direct connections between Lockes theory and the Declaration of Independence not only in quotes but also the feeling and emotion of the ideas presented. I think that Hobbes' theory carries a...
Words: 687 - Pages: 3
...During the colonization of America all of the colonies were under Britain’s thumb, then only African-Americans and women were under the rule of white men, and even when African-Americans and women were granted rights, there still hasn’t been true equality. America was founded on the idea that everyone should be free and have inalienable rights, so what went wrong? Two hundred and forty one years ago, Patrick Henry was getting the fight for independence and freedom started. He was strong in believing that people’s rights should be protected and that people should not be oppressed. Henry was able to recognize that Britain was an oppressing force....
Words: 1207 - Pages: 5